Mia Pagoda, Son Tay Ward, Hanoi City

Mia Pagoda, whose literary name is Sung Nghiem Tu, is located in Dong Sang residential group, Son Tay Ward, about 50 km west of central Hanoi. It is one of the typical relics of the Xu Doai region, located within the relic complex of the ancient village in Duong Lam, associated with the history, culture, and spiritual life of local people.

The pagoda was built long ago and was once seriously damaged. In 1632, Consort Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung mobilized local villagers to repair and restore the pagoda. Because people admired her virtue, after she died, her statue was carved and worshipped at the pagoda, and since then people have customarily called her Lady of Mia Pagoda. Through many restorations, the pagoda has retained relatively intact its traditional architecture and landscape space.

The pagoda complex includes the Tam Quan gate, front hall, main hall, upper hall, ancestral house, and corridors, arranged in the traditional “inner public, outer national” layout. The pagoda space is rustic and ancient, highlighted by an ancient banyan tree and a system of architecture and sculpture deeply marked by traditional art.

In particular, Mia Pagoda currently preserves 287 large and small statues, including bronze, wood, and earth statues lacquered and gilded. Many statues have high artistic value, typically the Eight Vajra Deities, the Khuyen Thien and Tru Ac statues, the Buddha Patriarch, Shakyamuni, Quan Am Tong Tu, and Maitreya Buddha. Among them, the Quan Am Tong Tu statue, commonly known as the Lady Thi Kinh statue, stands out for its soft, gentle beauty and rich expressiveness.

Besides the Buddha statue system, the pagoda also preserves many valuable artifacts such as bells, stone steles, and ancient ritual objects, helping reflect the history and cultural and religious life of the people of Xu Doai.

With its outstanding architectural and sculptural art values, Mia Pagoda was ranked as an Architectural and Artistic Relic in 1964. Through many centuries and historical upheavals, the pagoda has preserved many original values and become a typical cultural and spiritual destination of Son Tay, attracting a large number of visitors to sightsee, learn, and research.